If legal errors affected the outcome of your case, an appeal or habeas corpus petition may provide a path to relief in Georgia and Federal courts.
Inflexible deadlines apply. Start your review today.
Admitted to Practice In
Even when a case is complex, the appeal timeline usually begins immediately after sentencing. Knowing your window is the critical first step.
30 days
Due within 30 days after entry of judgment (unless extended by a motion for new trial).
14 days
Due within 14 days after entry of judgment in federal criminal cases. There is almost no margin for delay.
1–4 Years
Typically 4 years for Georgia state habeas; 1 year for federal habeas from finality.
A direct appeal or habeas corpus petition is not a new trial. The court reviews the record to determine whether legal errors occurred and whether those errors require relief.
You believe the judge made harmful legal rulings, or the process violated the law in a way that truly matters to the outcome.
Your sentence may not be authorized under Georgia or Federal law, or may involve legal errors in enhancements or conditions.
If constitutional rights (Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Amendments) affected the fairness of the proceedings, appellate review is appropriate.
Some plea-related issues can be appealable, but they are very narrow and fact-specific. We can evaluate the record to see if grounds exist.
Georgia's Leading Specialist in Post-Conviction Litigation
Mark Yurachek has focused his work on criminal appeals and post-conviction litigation for over two decades. Clients and trial lawyers seek Mark's counsel when the record matters, deadlines are tight, and the case requires strict appellate discipline.
Appellate work is fundamentally different from trial advocacy. It requires digesting massive records, identifying precise legal errors, and writing persuasive briefs that judges actually read.
Mark has handled hundreds of appeals and habeas corpus petitions in state and federal courts, built on a deep understanding of procedural nuance and exhaustive record review.
Every case is unique, but our strategic approach ensures every potential avenue for relief is thoroughly evaluated before the court.
We determine whether an appeal or habeas petition appear viable and whether deadlines are still open.
Appeals rise or fall on the record: transcripts, exhibits, motions, orders, and filings.
Selecting focused issues that fit the record, standards of review, and path to relief.
Most appeals are decided on briefs. In some cases, oral argument may be granted.
Outcomes include reversal, new trial, or resentencing. If denied, post-conviction options may exist.
Not every error leads to relief. Courts look for preserved objections, the standard of review, and whether the error likely affected the outcome of your trial or sentence.
Whether the court improperly admitted harmful evidence or excluded helpful defense evidence.
Misstatements of law or refusal to give requested charges affecting how the jury understood the law.
Misconduct that fundamentally undermines the fairness of the trial and output.
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment issues including unlawful searches and statements.
Claims that counsel's performance fell below constitutional standards and harmed your defense.
Errors in applying enhancements, consecutive rules, or exceeding legal standards.
"Mark was communicative throughout the process, and he really cared about my case and getting results. He kept all expectations grounded in reality. This is the guy you want on your side!"
Kalen